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Stationery by Agha Shahid Ali

Stationery
Agha Shahid Ali

The moon did not become the sun.
It just fell on the desert
in great sheets, reams
of silver handmade by you.
The night is your cottage industry now,
the day is your brisk emporium.
The world is full of paper.

Write to me.

endnotes

This poem appeared in The Half-Inch Himalayas by Agha Shahid Ali, published by Wesleyan University Press, 1987. Shared here with profound gratitude.

 

Read more works by Agha Shahid AliFind books by this poet • Or view my library

 

Explore poems in pursuit of: the worldpaying attentionjourneys • Or browse the index

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on this day

Comments (5)

  • Summer

    “The world is full of paper. Write to me.”

    Beautiful.

    reply
  • AXR

    It’s June already.
    I have never written to you before.
    Today I came across this Shahid Ali poem on your site.
    The world stopped for a second,
    or maybe two.
    Filled to the brim, gratitude was about to race with sloth.
    I read it again.
    And then again.
    I wanted to send it out to the world.
    I wanted to receive it in a shoe-box tied with coarse brown string.
    How late could it be?
    How late am I?
    Will you share something else with me?

    reply
  • Reblogged this on chronicles from the mad city and commented:
    agha 🙂

    reply
  • […] Stationery by Agha Shahid Ali […]

    reply
  • ah, that’s so lovely. Sharing. Thank you.

    reply

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